Icing

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Directions

1Break 2 eggs into 2-cup measuring cup. Add enough water to measure 1 1/3 cups. Measure carefully, placing egg mixture and remaining bun ingredients except raisins, 1 egg and cold water in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Add raisins at the Raisin/Nut signal or 5 to 10 minutes before last kneading cycle ends.

2Select Dough/Manual cycle. Do not use delay cycle. (Total time will vary with appliance and setting.)

4Grease cookie sheet or two 9-inch round cake pans. Divide dough in half. Divide each half into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet or 1 inch apart in pans. Snip a cross shape in top of each ball, using scissors. Cover and let rise in warm place about 40 minutes or until double. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)

5Heat oven to 375°F. Beat egg and cold water slightly; brush over tops of buns. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet or pans to cooling rack. Cool slightly.

6In medium bowl, mix all icing ingredients until well blended. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Make a cross on top of each bun with icing. Serve warm.

EXPERT TIPS

Expert Tips

Hot cross buns were traditionally served on Good Friday because of the cross on top. Today, they are available in bakeries and supermarkets weeks before Good Friday because so many of us love these sweet, spicy rolls.

You can make these rolls ahead. After you have shaped the dough into buns and snipped the cross in top of each, cover with plastic wrap. You can refrigerate them from 4 hours up to 24 hours. Before baking, remove the buns from the refrigerator and remove plastic wrap. Cover with kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place about 2 hours or until double. Then brush the tops and bake as the recipe tells you above.

If your bread machine doesn't have a Raisin/Nut signal, add the raisins 5 to 10 minutes before the last kneading cycle ends. Check your bread machine's use-and-care book to find out how long the last cycle runs.

Traditionally hot cross buns contain raisins or currants. You may substitute the dark or golden raisins in this recipe with equal amounts of the more traditional currants or try chopped candied fruit.